Crafting is fun for all ages and interests. This blog evolved from researching resources for friends and articles I write as a freelance writer. It is a place to share the information I discovered. Please feel free to leave comments and questions. I am always looking at new projects ideas for family and friends in areas of my own abilities and theirs.
As a notice to my readers this blog does contain Amazon links and Google Adsense.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

After my cell phone died, my DH and I decided to leave the dinosaur ages of phones and enter the world of smart phones. I had intended to buy a basic phone, but the current promotions actually made the smart phones an affordable alternative.

I have slowly been exploring what this phone can do. I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the free apps available include ones for JoAnn Stores and Michaels. I frequent these stores regularly and always cut out the coupons or download the ones that come to my email box. The problem is that on occasion, I forget to bring the coupons with me or I make a stop that I had not planned on making and am without my coupons. The free app lets me download coupons targeted to smart phone users.

For instance, this week I had a paper coupon for JoAnn's that was a 40% off one non-sale item in the store. The sales clerk informed me the 50% coupon on my phone was only available to smart phone users. I had not missed it when I was cutting paper coupons. I was able to give my paper coupon to my shopping companion and use my smart phone one for myself.

I will still be cutting coupons and comparing the best offers available. I have not been able to find an app for AC Moore, which is the store I do most of my brick and mortar craft shopping at yet. I hope that that will change, as they are the coupons I most frequently forget.

This is just one more way to save a little cash and increase our craft dollars.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Our family has our big celebration on Christmas Eve. We host an open house for both families that begins in the morning and ends sometime before Christmas Day. It is a tradition we love and look forward to every year.

My presents are wrapped. The cat afghan will be a late present I am afraid. Despite some late night efforts it just was not meant to be finished on time. Thankfully there are plenty of other gifts so I don't think it will be missed.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Kitty Afghan has claws. I mean this thing is fighting back. I frogged three rows two days ago and completed 5 yesterday only to have to frog them all completing two more before bed time. I suspect it is that hurry up and screw up mentality that is kicking in, but it is so frustrating.

This project is taking on the aspects of the old samplers children were taught to do to improve their skills. Along this path, I have learned how to read a chart, improved techniques for changing colors, learned to use yarn bobbins, and now I have realized a real need to improve my technique for weaving in ends as this became one of the reasons for frogging yesterday. As I pulled out the last of the rows to get to my mistake, I pulled out a row underneath due to bad end weaving. I researched some better techniques yesterday and hopefully when I look at the two rows I completed last night the pattern is now correct. It is like the 12 Pains of Christmas Song, when one cat is off they all are off!

Thankfully, all the other Christmas presents are not only finished, but wrapped. DH finished the food shopping last night and my Aunt will be over to help us start prepping for the big Christmas Eve bash tomorrow. This afghan battle is not the end of the world. The recipient has plenty of other gifts waiting for her. A late Christmas gift is hardly the end of the world.

Monday, December 19, 2011

I finshed the snowman ami project and will post the pictures when I download them. DH has taken his early Christmas present to work already.

I spent Sunday pushing hard on the cat afghan, but I think the deadline is going to be close. Thankfully that is the last of the handmade presents I need to finish before Christmas Eve. Of course there is all the wrapping that needs to be done. I already have ideas for things I want to make for next year. That seems to be the way. I haven't finished one holiday before my mind is racing on to new projects.

Friday, December 16, 2011

I have been blogging about this project for a while, but this is the first time I stopped to take a picture. I still do not take the best pictures with my phone, but I am able to take more pictures than before. This at least gives an idea of the mosaic pattern that the afghan is forming.

The pattern comes from a November/December 1997 Hooked on Crochet magazine. I am not sure if there is a free version available online. I tried doing this once without yarn bobbins and it was a disaster. My Mom kindly introduced me to the wonders of yarn bobbins and while this project has had its challenges the outcome has been more positive.

I am still coming down to the deadline. Not sure if this present will make the Christmas Eve finish, but it is going to be a close finish I am sure. I am sure I can have it done before the New Year.

Check out the Holiday Blogs and Special Event Blogs for More Patterns:

Thursday, December 15, 2011

I finished the second snowman from Tobogganing Snowmen pattern. This is the first instance where the Red Heart Kids Crayon might have been a better option than the yarn I was trying to destash. I was working on finishing off some bright colored Lily Sugar'n Cream for the earmuffs and the scarf. The Red Heart yarn might have been easier to manipulate, but it still worked out in the end.

The toboggan is finished and my Aunt will be by tomorrow to teach me the art of using glue to stiffen projects. Therefore, I should have this project completed for my husband to bring into his office next week. I am not too concerned about a rush as he plans to keep it in there all winter.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

My husband kindly purchased the Tobogganing Snowmen pattern for me with the idea that one would eventually make its way to his office. The first snowman is completed and the second one only needs his earmuffs to be done. I played with the toboggan pattern a bit, but now it only needs some stiffener and it will be finished.

I have never tried adding blush to an amigurumi before. I love the look. I will consider using this technique on future projects.

I am on a stash busting effort so I did not use the suggested Red Heart Kids Crayon. I actually worked on finishing off some bright colored Lily Sugar'n Cream scraps I had left over from another project.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

I loved the reindeer on the cover of Mini Christmas Crochet Twenty to Make and from seeing the release notice wanted to order this book. I even went so far as to put it on a wish list exchange on a crochet group. Thankfully, I had many Christmas presents to buy and put off buying it until I could preview it from the library.

I really wish designers would make a point of including yarn/thread descriptions in their book descriptions. The patterns in this book are beautiful, but they are thread patterns. In this case they use a slightly larger needle, a B, but if you find thread challenging to work with, this is not going to be the best option for you. Now you can make many of these patterns with sport or worsted weight yarn and end up with larger projects. However, with so many beautiful patterns written for the correct size yarn, I am not sure I would spend the money on this book and then work out all the challenges.

If you like thread crochet than there are some cute patterns in this book. If you are looking for quick ornaments and decorations to fill a stocking or for a swap this may be the book you are looking to buy. The book includes patterns for:

Monday, December 12, 2011

This was one of the crocheted items for the doll donation we made to the Aztec Wishes toy drive. The pattern for the pants and poncho comes from the Abby, Allie and Abigail set available for purchase from Maggie's Crochet. The Santa Hat was made from a free pattern from a website that has disappeared, which I realized when I went to add the link this morning. A warning to all of us to copy the patterns we want when we see them. I have this one stored in plastic in a binder. I have made quite a few for gifts and donations from this pattern. I have to make sure I do not lose it.

I like this set of patterns because the pants and poncho are quick to work up. When I need a quick set for a donation or birthday this set can be done and provides a nice outfit for a gift.

Friday, December 9, 2011

I used a free round ripple crochet tree skirt pattern found here on Crochetville to make my tree skirt. I have a beautiful cross-stitched one made by my sister, but I needed something I could trust with our newest Sheltie. Last year we used a sheet to protect the tree from a curious dog. This year I wanted a tree skirt that would be more dog friendly. She may be ready for the cross-stitch one to make a comeback at some point. For know we have something festive.

This pattern works up quickly. I used Caron One Pound yarn for my project. I am thinking about making a few of these for Christmas presents next year for a few people I know that do not have tree skirts.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Mom and I have been working on doll donation projects this Christmas. This outfit went to Aztec Wishes for their toy drive. The pattern comes from Fun to Knit Doll Clothes. Since she has made so many great outfits from this booklet, I bought Fun Fashions for Christmas so she has some new selections to play with in the coming year.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

I needed a quick doll blanket to make for my doll donation project and found I had bought a pattern book I had forgotten from one of my vintage sources. This is a pattern called the "Dolls Big Granny Square Blanket" published in a Lion Brand leaflet Sweet Doll Afghans leaflet number 89602 promoting their Jamie yarn.

This was a great stash busting project for me. I used up scraps of blue Caron One Pound and Red Heart Super Saver variegated yarn I had left over from an afghan project. I have frogged a previous doll blanket I was making for a relative and will be using this pattern to complete the blanket I need for Christmas. The booklet includes patterns for doll blankets in traditional granny squares and a ripple pattern along with Barbie doll clothes. If you find a listing for this booklet, it is well worth picking up. I had originally purchased it for the Barbie patterns. However, the blankets have been of more use as they are designed for the larger dolls, not Barbie.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Monday, December 5, 2011

I wish I had this book when I was learning, but it also covers techniques and patterns for stitches I still want to learn. My learning style leans towards photographs over drawings or written descriptions. I do better when I can see what the author is trying to describe. This book provides up close illustrations of basic and more advanced techniques for readers to pursue.

For those interested in learning to read diagrams, this book explains the diagrams and then includes the diagrams along with written directions for the patterns in the book.

Friday, December 2, 2011

I purchased the Little People Play and Go Castle at Kohls for a December birthday present. I decided I would try to add some characters using Bizzy Crochet's free finger puppet patterns. The holiday finger puppets were a huge hit, so I thought adding some characters to the set would be fun. I also suspect they are small enough and flat enough they can fit right in the carrying case.

These finger puppets make great stocking stuffers or additions to other toy sets even if you don't make the crochet castles she has on her site. I have made several sets now for gifts and donations and they are quick and fun gifts for children.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Safety Barrel is the free pattern companion to the safety cone. This is another quick to make toy that you can add to a car set for a stocking stuffer or a donation for a child. I completed two of these while family and friends were watching the Patriots on Sunday. They went home with my Aunt for her grandsons. I am hoping to make some more before the deadline for a local toy donation.

As I mentioned with the safety cone another benefit is they are using up my I was able to use scraps of Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn left over from the Halloween and Thanksgiving projects. Instead of small little balls left over, I have cute toys for kids to enjoy.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I made more safety cones from a free pattern during the down time cooking at Thanksgiving. They work up very quickly and I am thinking about adding some to a toy drive at the local high school. They are very popular among my younger relatives with their toy cars. I sent these cones home with my Aunt for her grandsons.

I was able to use scraps of Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn I had left over from making Halloween and Thanksgiving projects to make these. I like finding projects to use up the ends of the yarn I have left over from dishcloths and this was a perfect project. I do not often find a call for bright orange cotton yarn.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I have picked up Crochet VISUAL Quick Tips in the store a few times and even my husband has asked me about it a few times in his quest to create a Christmas list. I finally was able to get a copy through the reserve at our library to review prior to purchase.

I really like this book for the advertised purpose, quick tips and reviews. The Crochet Answer Book and the The Knitting Answer Book have always been my small "go to" guides for quick answers. The drawback was they use drawings not photographs and I cannot always tell what the drawings indicate. While they cover more information, if I cannot understand it, the information is not terribly useful. Since I am trying to improve my basic knitting skills I may consider finding the Knitting VISUAL Quick Tips to help me with my journey. Now if they only started one for looming!!!

Monday, November 28, 2011

I have a The Knook Kit on Santa's Wish List and even took DH by the display in a couple of different stores to show him what they look like to make shopping easier. I noticed there are some new books out, but I thought I would start posting new free patterns and helpful hints as I located them, too. As always I will add more resources as I find them.

Friday, November 25, 2011

I have been making Thanksgiving items in what I call decoration colors and then items for kids trying to work in traditional colors. This dress is actually far more traditional in color than most of the black, brown, and grey that you see in decorations of Pilgrims for the holidays. My goal is to make some of each so that the kids can compare and contrast the two.

This dress was made adapting Darski's free Pilgrim pattern. This is one of my favorite 18" doll patterns, but for some reason, I was struggling with it this holiday. It could be that I made three dresses in a short period of time and had to rush to complete this one. I was not as happy with the finished look as I have been with previous attempts. However, I was pleased that I finally figured out my challenge with one area that was a result of my bad crocheting.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

I am determined to keep my minimum knitting skills intact. When I saw this free turkey dishcloth pattern, it seemed like a good practice project to work on.

My skills are still in need of work. I hope that I can get some classes in at Good Sheep LYS that opened near us. Success depends her class schedule and my timetable matching, but there is hope. I was pleased to find I could still cast on, knit, and purl. I was even able to recover when I made a mistake. I was able to pull out a row instead of frogging the whole piece and starting again. This is what normally happens after a knitting mistake, which is why I tend to crochet more than I knit. I can recover from my crochet mistakes.

Monday, November 21, 2011

This is last in my Thanksgiving bell series from Seasonal Bell pattern from the February 2001 edition of Hooked on Crochet (Number 85). Like the Pilgrim Hat bell this project combined the original pattern with a free Ken Doll Pilgrim pattern(for the turkey) to complete the project.

This project combine scraps that I picked up at various sales and left over Red Heart worsted weight and Caron One Pounder yarn. I am enjoying watching my bag of scrap yarn balls disappear as I work through these projects.

Friday, November 18, 2011

This is the second Thanksgiving bell in the set of three I made. This one combines the Seasonal Bell pattern from the February 2001 edition of Hooked on Crochet (Number 85)and a Ken free Pilgrim pattern for the hat.

This has been another project dedicated to using up scraps. The variegated yarn is Red Heart Super Saver left over from an afghan I made a while ago. The black is Caron One Pounder from a current afghan I am making for Christmas.

I made progress on my knitted dishcloth yesterday. I was actually able to pull out a row without having to start over from the beginning of the pattern. This is a rare happening for me. While I can pull out several rows of crochet and correct, one stitch can be the end of me with a basic knitted piece.

I am continuing to make progress on the last of the children's afghans I'm making for Christmas. I finished the chart for the first time through and am a couple of rows into the first repeat of the chart. Mom's suggestion of using yarn bobbins has been a huge help. I am using variety of brands since this afghan has lots of colors. The multiple sizes like the Boye Bulky Yarn Bobbins and the Boye Smaller Yarn Bobbins help to manage tangling and weight. I have picked up a few Susan Bates bobbins as well. I find they all work equally well. The important part is to have enough to make the changes you for the pattern.

Many of you that read this blog know knitting is not one of my stronger skills, but I took out my needles to work on a turkey dishcloth. A new yarn store offers knitting classes one town over and I am thinking about signing up after the holidays. I can do the basic knit/purl that allows me to finish something like a dishcloth. However, I can never figure out how to fix my mistakes, which I have some basic skills doing with crochet. I will say my wrists are far sorer than they ever are when I spend hours crocheting.

I am also planning on dusting off my looms, digging out the DVD's and books I have bought and working on learning looming in January. I have wanted to put some time into learning how, but keep getting distracted by crochet projects. I have promised this winter looming is a goal.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

This is the first bell I made for the Thanksgiving box using the Seasonal Bell pattern from the February 2001 edition of Hooked on Crochet (Number 85). For the first time I did not adapt the pattern very much. I left out a few items and I chose to sew instead of gluing as the pattern suggested.

I have been focusing on using up the small balls of yarn I have accumulated and this was a great project to help with that mission. I finally eliminated one color and several more are on their way out after finishing the other two bells in the set.

The Thanksgiving package finally went out this morning with my husband. I think it will require a rush to get it to its destination on time. I was pushing hard yesterday to finish the last Pilgrim and the 18" doll dress. Skipper, Barbie, and Stacie never did get outfits this year. I need to start those in the summer I suspect if I want to have them ready in time.

Now it is time to finish the race to get the Christmas and December birthday gifts finished I want to finish the adorable tree bell from this pattern set as well.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of amigurumis. I have not had the chance to meet many designers personally although I have had the chance through the Internet. This could change as on December 10 Stacey Trock is coming to the Good Sheep in Hudson, Massachusetts on December 10. She is on a book tour promoting her latest book, Crocheted Softies: 18 Adorable Animals from Around the World and will be signing books during her visit from noon until two. The link to the Good Sheep's page will give you the storeowner’s contact information for more details. It is suggested you call in advance if you plan on attending.

If you don't live in this area Stacey Trock has a list of her current stops with promises to update posted on her blog.

I am looking forward to meeting her and learning a bit more about the craft.

Friday, November 11, 2011

As part of an extra item in a recent color crochet swap, I got a Needlecraft for Today Sept/Oct 1984 magazine. People who follow this blog know I love old crochet magazines and patterns. As I flipped through the many fall toy patterns I could add to my holiday collections, the one that I knew would make it to my list for this year was the Pilgrim set.

This pattern is different from many of the modern ami's because the bottom is left open and closed by a round crochet disc to make a flat bottom that provides a stable means for the woman to stand. I actually like this feature as it provides some stability for the toy that I have to use creative stuffing with for the more rounded modern ami's. This pattern also used a triple crochet stitch to create a nose, which is a technique I have not seen used in many of my modern ami patterns. I liked the way it looks and may try it again in some of my other patterns.

I have finished the body of the 18" doll Pilgrim dress, so I have made significant progress on that leaving me three more doll dresses to complete. I have one Pilgrim to complete and one more to start. The last items should be the Thanksgiving bells. I think I have a shot of completing most of these items in time for the mailing deadline.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Thursday, November 10, 2011

I saw Chester the Turkey Boy while doing a search for Thanksgiving patterns to include in my Thanksgiving box. My husband kindly placed the digital order for him so I would have him in time to complete my Thanksgiving box.

This guy reminded me of the many Thanksgiving pageants I have seen over the years with the child dressed up as the Thanksgiving turkey. I do not know if that was the designer's intent, but it was my motivation for buying the pattern and wanting to make it.

When I approached the pattern I thought the challenge would be the head because it had the cover on it. That proved to be very workable. For some reason what I found hard were the directions for the wings. I suspect there was a disconenct on my part. I put aside the turkey after finishing the head and struggling with the wings and came back to so I could finish up my Thanksgiving box. This time I skipped the wings and went right to the body. The legs and body worked up quickly. The directions and pictures for the tail feathers used a similar technique to those of the wings, but for some reason I found them easier to understand. With the tail feathers completed the wings were no longer a major challenge.

I love this pattern and can see myself returning to make more Thanksgiving turkeys. This one will be headed off in the Thanksgiving box. I at least need one more for my house and I suspect my husband will want one for his office. While not likely to happen in time for this year, there is always next year.